Back to School
Back to School Dates
2020-2021 First Day of School: Wednesday, August 19th.
Preschool will dismiss at 1:00 pm on August 19th, 20th & 21st. On all other days, PK-1 will dismiss at 1:00 pm, and PK-2 will dismiss at 3:00 pm. Extended Day Care is available for Preschool students and their families.
Lower School will dismiss at 3:10 pm every day.
Middle & Upper School will dismiss at 3:30 pm every day.
Please refer to the COVID-19 Policy & Procedure document for detailed information regarding drop-off and pick-up protocol.
All-School Info
Summer Assignments
Dress Code
Allen uniforms may be purchased from Mills Uniforms (school code: 7401) or Land's End
Dress Code
The purpose of the Allen Academy dress code is to ensure a climate conducive to learning. Except for special occasions announced well in advance, students are always expected to be in dress code when school is in session.
Primary Days are essentially our regular dress day, our normal. Typically, these will be every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Spirit Days are an opportunity to show school spirit and celebrate many of our student activities and programs. There will be special occasions in which Athletics, Fine Arts or other student programs, will be permitted to wear their game day/performance shirts as they prepare for a home game, performance or activity of some kind. These occasions will be announced.
Formal Days will be once per week, typically on Thursdays. These days will typically involve important, all-school events, align with off-campus field trips where we represent the School, and honor the long and proud history of Allen Academy.
Preschool
Primary Day: Casual top and casual bottom or casual dress. Closed-toe shoes.
Formal Day: Navy blue Allen polo. Khaki bottoms or Plaid Jumper. Navy blue, black or white socks. Closed-toe shoes.
Spirit Day: Allen Spirit Shirt. Blue denim bottoms. Closed-toe shoes. Primary dress also acceptable.
Lower School
Primary Day: Allen Uniform Polo. Khaki or navy slacks/shorts, plaid skirt or jumper. Navy blue, black or white socks. Closed-toe shoes.
Formal Day: White Allen Academy button down (short or long sleeve). Khaki slacks or plaid shirt. Navy blue, black or white socks. Closed-toe shoes. *Tucked in shirt and solid color belt.
Spirit Day: Allen Spirit Shirt. Blue denim bottoms. Closed-toe shoes. Primary dress also acceptable.
Middle & Upper School
Primary Day: Allen Uniform Polo, Khaki or Navy slacks/shorts, Plaid skirt or jumper. Navy blue, black or white socks. Closed-toe shoes.
Formal Day: White Allen Academy button down (short or long sleeve). *Allen tie for boys*. Khaki slacks or plaid skirt. Navy blue, black or white socks. Closed-toe shoes. *Tucked in shirt and solid color belt.
Spirit Day: Allen Spirit Shirt, blue denim bottoms and closed-toe shoes. Primary dress also acceptable.
Cold Weather (all Divisions)
Allen-approved pullovers, hoodies, sweatshirts, etc. may be worn over designated uniform. Designated uniform bottoms and school color leggings. Closed-toe shoes.
Freezing Weather (all Divisions)
All colors of head and neck gear. Any brand of heavy jacket worn over scheduled uniform. All colors of handgear. Designated uniform bottoms and school color leggings. Closed-toe shoes.
Expectations:
Bottoms Style & Vendor:
Primary and Spirit Days: Required style as outlined above. Slacks should not have cargo pockets, elastic cuffs, or holes. Jeans should not have holes.
Formal Day: New uniform items for Formal Days must be purchased through Mills Uniforms.
Belts:
Primary & Spirit Days: Tucking is optional. Belt is required if shirt is worn tucked.
Formal Day: Tucking in shirts is required. Belt is required for students wearing khaki pants. Belt should be a neutral color.
Headband, Bows, Head Accessories: On all days, these items should follow guidelines of being modest in appearance and not a safety hazard or a learning distraction.
Primary Day - Items are expected to be in school uniform colors.
Formal Day - Items are expected to be in school uniform colors.
Spirit Day - Items may be worn at student discretion.
Socks & Leggings:
Primary & Formal Days - Socks and leggings must be solid white or navy blue.
Spirit Day - Socks and legging selection are at student discretion, but should follow the guidelines of being modest in appearance and not a safety hazard or a learning distraction.
Hair: Hairstyle may be at student discretion, but should follow the guidelines of being modest in appearance and not a safety hazard or a learning distraction.
Makeup & Piercings: Makeup and piercings may be at student discretion, but should follow the guidelines of being modest in appearance and not a safety hazard or a learning distraction.
Jewelry and Accessories: Jewelry and accessories may be worn at student discretion, but should follow the guidelines of being modest in appearance and not a safety hazard or a learning distraction.
Dress Code Violations
Division Heads may choose from a range of responses to dress code violations, including students being given the proper uniform for the day, being declared ineligible for after school activities, and so on, depending on the frequency of infractions.
School Supplies
Preschool
At this time, the only supplies that need to be provided for students in PreK-I and PreK-II are paper towels and Clorox wipes. Any other supply needs that arise will be communicated to families by the Preschool teachers when school is underway.
Kinder – 5th Grade
School supplies and books are provided by the school with the exception of IT Devices and headphones. Students will need a backpack, water bottle, outdoor weather gear. Masks are strongly encouraged in grades K-3, and required in grades 4-5. Kindergarten students are recommended to keep a change of clothes at school at all times.
Middle and Upper School
In addition to the school supplies listed for each grade level, per our August 7th Covid-19 Policy & Procedure, masks are required in grades 6-12.
Digital Learning Program
Preschool
Students will more fully integrate technology in their development of language and phonics
Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
Students will use Chromebooks and iPads for centers/stations and projects. Students in grades 2 and 3 are strongly encouraged to bring their own device at this time, as well as a set of small headphones/earbuds, but this will be required from January 2021.
4th – 12th Grade
Allen students in grades four through twelve (4th-12th) are required to have their own personal Chromebook or laptop for school use as well as a set of small headphones/earbuds. The information below should help address many of the most common questions you may have as you prepare for purchasing the personal device.
Students will be using a personal Chromebook/ laptop in most of their classes. This does not mean that writing will only take place on the computer, paper and pencil will still be used. Technology is a tool. A vast assortment of projects using the technology component will be on the agenda for Allen’s future and having a personal device will be a major step in the educational enrichment and resource direction.
Bring Your Own Laptop Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Bring Your Own Chromebook/ Laptop program?
A Bring Your Own Laptop program is an educational initiative where students bring a laptop with them to school each day to engage in their learning.
Can my child use a tablet?
No. There are functional reasons why we need all students on the same basic platform.
What is the difference between a laptop and a Chromebook?
A Chromebook is essentially a “thinned out” laptop. While a laptop has a large amount of storage, a Chromebook is designed to run the Google Chrome OS and store everything in the cloud. In general, we are recommending Chromebooks as they are web/cloud-based and that minimizes virus and software issues.
Will the Chromebooks/laptops be serviced by the school?
Allen will offer support with smaller issues (internet connection, sound issues, logins, etc.). Any major issues will need to be handled through the warranty that comes with the device that was purchased or other vendors.
Why has Allen chosen to recommend the HP Chromebook and Acer Chromebook?
These are rugged computers designed for everyday use in the classroom. They are both available with extended battery life options, good choices for school use. As students move into Middle School, these Chromebooks fulfill the needs. Families are welcome to buy a different Chromebook or laptop if it would suit their child’s needs best.
Chromebook Requirements:
- Core i3 Processor or faster
- Screen Size from 11” to 15”- not bigger
- 4GB RAM for Chromebooks or Linux
- Network Wireless Card B/G/N
- Recommended manufacturers: HP/Dell/Lenovo/Apple/Samsung/Sony/ASUS/Acer
- Battery Life: 3+ hours- an extra charge battery is desirable- but optional
- Headphones/earphones (each student needs his/her own headphones/earphones)
- Built-in or external microphone
- Built-in or external camera
Can we use a laptop that we already have?
Yes. If your laptop is only a couple of years old, then it should work fine. If it is older than that, you will want to check that it at least meets the following requirements:
Laptop Requirements:
- Core i3 Processor or faster
- Screen Size from 11” to 15”- not bigger
- 8GB for Windows 8 or 10 and MacOS
- Network Wireless Card B/G/N
- Hard drive 250GB minimum for non-chromebooks
- Operating systems: Windows 8 or 10, Apple OS or Linux
- Battery Life: 3+ hours- an extra charge battery is desirable- but optional
- Headphones/earphones (each student needs his/her own headphones/earphones)
- Built-in or external microphone
- Built-in or external camera
Will there be digital training for my child?
Yes. There will be training on Google Apps for Education, Keyboarding, and Digital Citizenship provided in the beginning of the school year. Using Allen’s email is also a key learning tool.
Books
Preschool
Preschool does not require any books.
Kindergarten – 5th Grade
All books for grades K-5 are provided by the school.
6th Grade - 12th Grade
English:
MS/US will primarily use digital resources. Some books may be required for English over the course of the year, but those will be communicated on a class by class basis.
Mathematics:
MS/US will primarily use a digital textbook for Mathematics, provided by the school.
History:
MS/US will primarily use digital resources; however, students in the following US courses will need to purchase the textbook specified below:
AP European History - Western Civilization, 9th edition - Jackson Spielvogel (ISBN 13: 978-1-305-27229-3 / ISBN 10: 1-305-27229-3)
AP Human Geography - The Cultural Landscape, 12th edition - James M. Rubenstein (ISBN 13: 978-0-113-427019-7)
AP US History -
(1) The American Pageant 17th edition (ISBN13: 978-1337915571)
(1) The Princeton Review Cracking the AP U.S. History Exam 2019 edition (IBSN13: 9781524758165)
AP Government -
(1) American Democracy Now 6th edition (ISBN13: 978-0076876921)
(1) The Princeton Review Cracking the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam 2019 edition (ISBN13: 978-1524758165)
World Languages:
Spanish 1A/B (6th and 7th grade) through Spanish IV will need to purchase a Spanish textbook from Vista Higher Learning.
Medical Information
Immunizations
Preschool Immunization Schedule
Nurse’s Station
Be sure to check out the Nurse’s Station webpage for all medication questions and health related info
Athletics
Physicals
All 6th –12th Grade students must complete the following physical form prior to August 1st of each year:
9th – 12th Grade Athletes
All 9th-12th Grade athletes must complete the following forms prior to participation each year:
* Acknowledgement of Rules
* Steroid Form
New Students : 9th – 12th Grade Athletes
If you are new to Allen, entering 9th –12th Grade, please complete the following transfer form.